A Western World

by Michael DeForge

Short, succinct and, more often than not, strange stories have always been a central part of Michael DeForge's oeuvre. In a career that's volume outweighs its years, DeForge's most powerful work has often been his most pithy. (From Koyama Press)

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Short Stories, Fiction, Graphic Novels Comics, Surreal, Art

Unknown Binding

First published May 25, 2018

About the author

Michael DeForge lives in Toronto, Ontario. His comics and illustrations have been featured in Jacobin, The New York Times, Bloomberg, The Believer, The Walrus and Maisonneuve Magazine. He worked as a designer on Adventure Time for six seasons. His published books include Very Casual, A Body Beneath, Ant Colony, First Year Healthy, Dressing, Big Kids, Sticks Angelica, Folk Hero and A Western World.

Reviews

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the foremost alternative comics artists around, Michael DeForge. This is a collection of shorts from various places, many of which I have read in one of his Lose minicomics and reviewed already. But if this is your first time seeing his work, you get to see his unique approach: colorful, weird, absurd, surreal, silly/sophomoric, psychedelic. Some of his stuff is a touch sexually explicit. He is often very funny; he has a wacky, dry/bleak sense of humor. He features very strange characters, blobs, like something you’d see under a microscope, but talking. Speculative fiction?

The title of this collection is A Western World. Not THE Western World, which may be to say that this is a kind of fantasy/sci-fi parallel western world. And maybe a commentary on tendencies in western culture.

“Living Hell” features a few colorful characters imagining living together in harmony—all in a single house. “The Prime Minister of Canada” depicts a miserable guy who hates his job and just wants to go home. “Talking Sweat” is about sweat, sweat bladders, in humans, animals, whales. . . and the need to extend your life by getting sweat gland transplants. “Margot Airplane” is about a trust fund girl who gets surgically altered to become an airplane; a boy at school she likes turns his body into a car. They had different priorities. They split up.

A fun and playful sample of his work.

[Jesús · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michael DeForge continues to be a sticking point for me and my taste in comics. At first blush, his work is everything I love most about comics. It’s visually expressive and distinct. It unearths feelings and experiences that can only be expressed in comics. It is unafraid to be childish, obtuse, crass, simplistic, and other often-derided traits of supposedly “bad” art. By all measures, I really should love his work. I enjoyed this collection more than most of his other books, but not as much as I really should. I always come away from his books feeling gross and disgusted with the world.

I’ve now read most of his book-length works, his short comics, and now this collection of short pieces. After each book, I have sworn off ever reading another book of his, but I invariably end up trying another one not long afterward. It’s an ugly cycle. And with each new comic, I am better able to pinpoint what it is about his work that pisses me off. It isn’t just that his comics are about pretentious people caught up in the tangled anxieties of privilege (success, wealth, fame, education, professional life, and so on). It’s something more specific than that.

His world is not my world. His world is a world of young artists who have grown up around other young artists. His world is among the people and children of the haute bourgeoisie (the upper middle class). His characters struggle with inherited wealth, power, and visibility. Even when they stand outside the norm, they also stand above it. They look down on others, even when they claim to look down on themselves. His comics and characters “punch down” instead of up.

I’m a huge fan of indie and experimental comics. I read a ton of them. But DeForge’s work has always seemed inauthentic to me. After reading A Western World, I think I’m finally beginning to see why.

[Derek Royal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great collection of DeForge's shorter works, some of these collected in earlier issues of Lose. This would be the kind of book to give to someone and introduce her/him to DeForge. A great sampling! And I have a hunch that "A Western World" is DeForge's way of alerting us to his possible commentary on our current (Western) culture and its problems.

Reread 9/16/2018 for planned interview with DeForge at SPX

[Doug · Rating 2 out of 5]

Of all of the DeForge books I've read, this is definitely my LEAST favorite. Much of it is scatological/gross, and the rest is just kind of nonsensical and boring. There is also a weird 'short story' that he didn't even bother to illustrate. Disappointing.

[Mateen Mahboubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of shorter work of varying styles and lengths. Some are particularly strong but there were also some that fell a bit flat for me. Definitely still enjoyed reading though. DeForge is one of the most exciting comics artists out there today.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best stories for me in this collection are "Quicksand," "Placeholders" & "Computer" - all pretty great. The rest ranges from good to just ok. I find the best way for me to read DeForge anthologies is in small doses, otherwise the stories tend to get same-y in their avant-weirdness. But the best of his comics feature absolutely scintillating visual schemes. 3 1/2 outta 5.

[kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

not my fave thing by deforge but still full of some rlly fun ideas in ‘quicksand’ ‘mostly saturn’ ‘the prime minister of canada’ and the unnamed one (?) about the soft shapes.
even the ones i didn’t click still feel worthwhile bc there’s always an odd little world + strange little creatures presented on the paper + i always enjoy the ride.

[S̶e̶a̶n̶ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nowhere near as consistently good as the 'Lose' anthology or Ant Colony.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

What the heck did I just read? I do not think I understood many of these short comics. I felt that several of them ended so abruptly I was wondering if it was missing pages. Many were also untitled and I had to keep reviewing the list at the front of the book to even know what I was reading. It didn't make a lot of sense to me. I wasn't even a fan of the artwork, I found it quite off-putting. Many of the stories were needless graphic and nonsensical. Would not recommend.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't make the connection between DeForge and one of my favorite authors, Richard Brautigan, until I read the short sotry here, "All Dogs Are Dogs." In retrospect, it makes complete sense why I hold both creators in high regard. DeForge's ability to say something profound about the human experience in the context of (sometimes) completely abstract settings using (almost always) abstract illustrations is unique and perhaps even unmatched. Elements of his work remind me of Entropy by Costain, but a lot less dense than that masterpiece. A Western World is a collection of short stories, and some definitely hit the mark more than others, but all present a perspective worth mulling over, at least for a little while.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hit or miss collection that reminds one of the short stories of John Cheever (this is not a compliment).

[Robby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really liked "Mostly Saturn".

[Comics Alternative · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://comicsalternative.com/episode-...

[R · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love reading Michael Deforge's comics. They are surreal, with characters in fantastic worlds, and yet offer intimate reflections back onto our own. Each story plays with an idea or feeling in ways that are at times weird, thoughtful, sad, sensual, and also deeply funny. What are the innermost desires of an ornithologist? How would a sentient plane and a car have sex? How did God grow assholes? Topics I never really thought about and now they are in my brain. Thanks Michael Deforge!

[miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

fuck me up michael deforge! best stuff since big kids i think. the last story made me stop and read it twice in a row and i still couldn't sleep after. one of the best cartoonists of all time

[Luke Stevens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why is your shit so hard to find Michaellllllll

[Rick Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice, varied collection of short comics by Michael DeForge. Contained within A Western World are stories about strange people and societies rendered in DeForge's distinctive simple designs which involve flat coloring, clean lines with limited hatching and geometric backdrops. The tales are very alien in their elaboration on societal customs but even with the heightened absurdism there is some grounded realism here.

Of the fourteen stories, only a few really stood out for me. Top on the list for me was "The Prime Minister of Canada", a story which presents a highly exaggerated version of Canada's PM as he goes from appointment to appointment in an increasingly agitated state. The discontent he feels is captured in hilarious bits of narration that really demonstrates DeForge's knack for applying subversive humor to his oddly structured comics.

The collection here isn't the best of DeForge's works but still a nice little sampling of what he's capable of. There's a decent bit of variety here to keep the stories feeling somewhat fresh. DeForge's eccentric cartooning is the focal point here and even if his style doesn't vary much over his growing body of work, the stories in A Western World do demonstrate his ability to subtly shift aesthetics as needed.

[Nick LeBlanc · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first exposure to Deforge, short of flipping through a copy of Birds of Maine a few weeks ago and wondering exactly what it was I was reading. The art is varied, surreal, and wonderful--particularly his creative use of color and negative space. As far as the stories go, they range from sharp little mind bullets to forgettable. This is usually the case with works trafficking in the avant-garde/surreal realm that these stories inhabit. Reading shorts in such quick succession can lead to some of the stories feeling a bit same-y, or as if they are inversions of the same conceit. This isn't a critique of the work so much as a comment on the collection itself. Mostly Saturn and Rhode Island Me are far and away the best in the collection and stand out by a mile. This writing reminds me of Richard Brautigan in that there is always something being said underneath it all. Again, beautiful art.

I have ranked the collection below.

Mostly Saturn
Rhode Island Me
Prime Minister of Canada
Talking Sweat
Boy
Quicksand
Computer
Margot Airplane
Adults
A Softness
Grief Analytics
Placeholders
About Kissing
Living Hell
All Dogs are Dogs

Read on a trade paperback borrowed from MA Commonwealth Catalog.

[Marek · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.6
Cenię DeForge’a za to, że jest w stanie połączyć w koherentne zdanie słowa, o których nikt nigdy nie pomyślał jako pasujące do siebie. A przy tym sprawić, że wypowiedzi te kupuję i przyjmuję jak rzeczywistość. Pierwsza połowa tego tomu to niemal (idc about „Adults) same bangery, z fantastycznym „Mostly Saturn” na czele i sitcomowym „The Prime Minister of Canada”. I jasne, „A Western World” to chyba najbardziej horny, stawiający na bezpruderyjną cielesność/wulgarność zbiór prac DeForge’a, jaki czytałem. Z tego powodu część materiału wypada po prostu jako nieudane żarty o ruchaniu („Computer”, „Quicksand”, „Boy”). Z drugiej strony to historie, z którymi można się utożsamiać (któż z nas nie wolałby mieć porannej sesji obciągania zamiast sprawdzania maili, heloł?). Ostatecznie jednak przewaga tych bardzo dobrych i dobrych historii jest znacząca.

+ „Living Hell”, „Mostly Saturn”, „The Prime Minister of Canada”, „A Softness”, „Placeholders”, „Talking Sweat”, "All Dogs Are Dogs”, „About Kissing”

[Przemysław Skoczyński · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okazuje się, że śmierć na Ziemi nie oznacza końca, następuje jedynie reinkarnacja, po której ludzie lądują na Saturnie, gdzie pojawiają się w wieku, w jakim zginęli. Ich nowe życie przebiega w drugim kierunku, więc z czasem są coraz młodsi. Mniej ludzi na Ziemi to więcej na Saturnie, a to jest pretekst do wojny. Mało? To wyobraźcie sobie wykład o świecie, w którym wszystkie organizmy nie bazują na płynącej w ich żyłach krwi, lecz pocie generowanym do żył z kilku organów w ciele. Mało? Wyobraźcie sobie opowieść o chłopaku, na którym wykonano serię operacji plastycznych, bo zapragnął być... samolotem. Mało? Wyobraźcie sobie historię stworzenia, zapoczątkowaną w ten sposób, że Bóg zasadził nasiona, które były odbytami. Mało? Jak mało to zapraszam do lektury tego zbioru krótkich historii rozsianych wcześniej w różnych miejscach i zebranych do kupy w "A Western World", bo to DeForge w najlepszym i najbardziej szalonym wydaniu

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael DeForge remains my all time favorite sequential artist. His visuals are fantastic and wacky and they often use a combination that I am always drawn to in art; a grotesque ugliness of some kind combined with bright, playful colors. But also the weird creatures and characters he comes up with and the worlds they live in and the ideas and implications behind his stories- love it.

I found this collection hit and miss which for me is pretty normal with his short stuff. Mostly Saturn was by far my favorite, and Margot Airplane is just delightful.

If you like DeForge already, then yes, read this one too, what are you waiting for. If you've never read DeForge's work, well shoot, this book seems as good as any other to start on. Except maybe Very Casual... the Spotting Deer in that volume is a masterpiece.

[Kaitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intricate and unique collection of stories, DeForge handles the distressing aspects of contemporary life with ferocity and a bold visual style. The comics in A Western World are simultaneously strong and sensitive, with DeForge's close focus on moments of alienation, disappointment and introspection. I love how he combines imaginative elements, like giant biomorphic blob forms, with recognizable structures of power, like governments, tech companies, etc. A creative and deeply moving body of work, where each story brings something different to the table. Perhaps the strongest collection of sequential art I've read in years.

[holly keiser · Rating 3 out of 5]

i’m not exactly sure what’s going on here, and that’s ok. this is a collection of short stories. i don’t think they relate? but i did pick up a theme about progress, and how the illusion of progress can hold us back or something. idrk. some of them are sincere in tone and others are satirical. there’s a few that are straight stupid. out of the 15 stories, my favorites were “mostly saturn”, “a softness”, “talking sweat”, “quicksand”, “placeholders”, and “computer.” i actively disliked some others. i like art that confuses me, and this book did. i just felt like it was a little off. not sure how to explain it. that’s ok though, it was pretty good. i still wanna read “birds of maine.”

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

DeForge, who has already created some all-time classic work, seems to keep getting better and better. This collection of shorts contained some of, in my opinion, his most poignant and painfully melancholy work. The first and last stories especially hit me right in the stomach with some of their lines.

You know what to expect from him if you've read him before. The styles he plays around with and his usual combination of dark humor, absurdity, surrealism, nightmare imagery and goofy, often juvenile, comedy. His art and colors remain as gorgeous and psychedelic and gross as ever.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

To be a DeForge fan these days means to choose between reading his minicomics and anthology contributions and then be disappointed by his books or to ignore what he's releasing and wait long stretches for the book that inevitably collects it all. The material is great, bizarre and perverse, horrifying and hilarious, but I can't help but be disappointed when I realize I've read (and bought) nearly all of it before.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal collection of short comics all revolving around embodiment: what if feels like to be trapped in a body, to have a body change, to become disembodied, to touch other bodies. Through Michael DeForge's trademark graphic style, these universal experiences become abstract yet radically tactile. There is often an aloof, alienated emotional tenor to extreme, bizarre scenarios that are often felt viscerally moreso than told.

[Sunniva & Tommy Vad Funderud Flaaten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of short graphic stories from the lovely storyteller Michael DeForge. Some are stronger than others, all of them has than absurd rootedness in biology, psychology, technology... Lots of alienation, bodily fluids, semi-abstract visuals, great character designs, complex drama, and some fun political satire in there, too! Nice work, Michael. Keep it coming! <3

[Ji Le · Rating 3 out of 5]

Des histoires courtes du bédéiste le plus étonnant des dernières années. La lecture et la vision de ces histoires est toujours fascinante. Mais il faut plus le voir comme un travail d'exploration graphique et narratif que comme un ouvrage en soi.
Recommandé pour les fans

[Andrew Tatge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Into speculative fiction? Vibrant and pleasing variety of art. Topical and universal mixed together, often abstract. Has been a while since I’ve read a comic this varied and surprising (my intake had dropped a lot in recent years though).

[Karl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Koyama Press has long supported DeForge by publishing many of his books. In my opinion, this collection of shorter pieces, fits very well in the larger body of his work. Quirky and odd yet tastefully illustrated . I recommend this for fans of Fantagraphics anthology series NOW.